


Spots

by SailorChibi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Episode: s02 Audimatrix | Prime Queen, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Holding Hands, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, akuma prime queen, could be considered an episode coda, flustered marinette, it's so nice to write something cute and fluffy again, minimal angst, season 2 episode 3 AU, these two are too adorable for words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 03:30:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15788043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: When the Prime Queen threatened Alya, Ladybug couldn't figure out what to do with her Lucky Charm and removed her Miraculous to save Alya. Chat Noir blocked the screen so that only he could see who was behind the mask.





	Spots

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not all the way through season 2 yet, but when I saw the third episode my mind exploded for what could have happened. This is my first MLB fanfic so hopefully it's decent.

"What do I do with it? What do I _do_ with it?" Ladybug could hear the shrillness of her own voice, but she didn't have the time to stop and take a breath. If she could just have five minutes – no, one minute would do, enough time to stop and think things through and look around properly.

But Alya was in danger; she was going to die in less than a minute. She dug frantically through the drawers, hoping to find a miracle, tossing frozen food left and right while Chat Noir dodged. With every passing second, her eyes were drawn back to the screen. The coffin containing Alya edged just a fraction closer to the water, so that more than half of it was hanging over, and something inside of her broke.

"Three, two, o-"

"Okay!" she said, cutting off Prime Queen, her stomach churning. "I - okay. I'll give you my Miraculous. Just please... don't."

Prime Queen smiled broadly. "I knew you'd see it my way. Earrings off, Ladybug."

Tikki was going to be so disappointed in her. She avoided Chat Noir's eyes, reaching up with trembling hands to grip her earrings. Quickly, before she could re-think her actions, she pulled them off – and at the same time, Chat Noir leapt in front of the screen, blocking the gaze of Prime Queen and the rest of the world. All they saw, Marinette knew from watching the footage later, was red light. 

An enraged shriek from the screen made Marinette cringe, but Chat Noir acted like he couldn't even hear it. He was staring at her in shock, his face gone white behind his black mask, as though she'd suddenly grown a second head. Marinette blinked back at him, torn between defiance and a fear so strong her stomach cramped. The awkward silence was broken by another howl of rage.

"Out of the way!" Prime Queen screamed. Her hand emerged from the screen, grabbing Chat Noir's shoulder and trying to push him aside.

Chat Noir reacted, smoothly gripping her wrist and yanking her through the screen. At the same time, he pivoted and plunged his staff into the screen. It shattered. He pinned Prime Queen down with a foot and looked to Marinette, who just stood there gaping at him like an idiot. 

"Now!" he bellowed.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette yelled, jolted into action. As the red light of her transformation faded, Chat Noir seized Prime Queen's watch and broke it. The akuma fluttered into the air. Like them, it was trapped. It made for easy pickings, at least.

When the akuma was cleansed, and Chat Noir had used his Cataclysm to free them, Ladybug walked out. The secret she'd fought so hard to keep was laying in pieces around her feet, all because she'd overreacted. She didn't look at Chat Noir, even though she could feel his eyes on her. A dozen things ran through her mind, but none of them seemed right. Indeed, for one of the few times in their acquaintance, Ladybug was speechless. It wasn't a good feeling. The silence was heavy and horrible, but really... what was there to say?

"Princess -"

"I gotta go check on Alya," Ladybug said. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say right now. She just wanted to hide away from the world, but only after she made sure that Alya was okay. Her friend’s frightened screams still rang in her ears.

"Alya's fine. I'm sure she reappeared where she was before the akuma took her." In two steps, Chat Noir was in front of her. He put a hand on her arm; she looked automatically at his ring, which only had two pads left.

"You need to go."

He sighed. "Yeah? Why is that?"

"We agreed -"

"You agreed, M'lady," he corrected. "That was your suggestion, your plan, and I went along with it because I didn't want to pressure you. But if I know who you are, I don't see the point in keeping my identity a secret. Fair is fair, right?"

There was a lump in Ladybug's throat. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." Chat Noir looked over her shoulder. Nadja was just sitting up, looking very dazed and confused, as most akuma victims did after the fact. He took Ladybug by the hand and quietly pulled her out of the kitchen. They entered the empty restaurant and he shut the door behind them, flicking the lock. His ring was down to one now. 

"Last chance," Ladybug said. As she spoke, her own transformation released. Tikki let out a faint moan, exhausted after such exertion, and weakly fluttered down into Marinette's hands. Chat Noir peered curiously at the kwami, but swiftly redirected his attention back to Marinette's face. She'd never noticed how piercing his eyes could be until this moment, when she was standing before him, unmasked in every sense of the word.

They continued staring at each other as Chat Noir's transformation came apart.

"Like I said," Adrien said with a sheepish smile, rubbing at the back of his head. "No apologies necessary."

A sound somewhere in between a croak and a shriek escaped Marinette's throat in response.

Adrien frowned faintly. "Uh - are you okay?"

"No," Marinette whispered faintly. Then, seeing his concerned expression, she backtracked and said, "Yes! Yes, I am very - that is to say, I'm fine. So fine. This is all fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I'm just -" Deep breath. She needed to take a deep breath. Marinette dragged in air like she was drowning, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Adrien was Chat Noir. Her partner and her insane crush were one and the same. On the one hand, it seemed impossible. The two were nothing alike! Adrien was somewhat shy, reserved with people he didn't know, and kind to a fault. Chat Noir was loud and flirty and energetic. 

Then again, Marinette thought, perhaps they weren't so different after all: didn't Adrien have the same flirty smile that made her heart skip a beat? Didn't Chat Noir have the heart of an angel?

"Marinette? You're kinda spacing out on me here. Did you hit your head?"

Marinette's eyes snapped open and a giddy smile crossed her face. "No! I was just... post-battle adrenaline's fading, that's all," she said quickly, trying to ignore the fact that her heart was thumping away like no one's business. And this time, it had nothing to do with fear for Alya. 

"Okay," Adrien said, though he still looked a little worried. "I know it's a shock, me being Chat and all."

"It is, but it's -" she couldn't say fine again " - great! That we know each other in person, I mean. I always wondered if we did."

He smiled boyishly. "Yeah, I did too. I never imagined it was you."

"I never thought it would be you," Marinette said. She'd never dared to dream. To hope. Chat Noir was Adrien. The person she trusted most with her life... was Adrien.

Adrien shrugged, this time with a sheepish smile. "The mask is pretty freeing. I can be whoever I want to be. Sometimes people like me better that way."

"I like you both ways," Marinette said without thinking, then blushed hotly. "I! I mean! I don't like you! No! I mean I don't like you like you, but I like you and you - as you in and Chat Noir, I like you -" She stuttered to a stop, mortified.

"I like you too," Adrien said, blushing a little. He didn’t quite look at her. "Both of you. This is... it makes it easier."

She didn't dare ask what he meant by that. Her heart couldn't take it. She dropped her gaze, still blushing. "Do you... Alya was baby-sitting Manon. Do you want to come check on her with me? My parents probably have some pastries left. You can feed your kwami too." She glanced at the little black kwami, who was busily rolling its eyes and muttering on Adrien's shoulders.

"I'd like that. Battle makes me hungry," Adrien said. "Do you... mind if we walk?" He paused, as though mustering his confidence, then grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. In a way it felt natural - how many times had Ladybug and Chat Noir held hands exactly like this? Marinette had lost count a long time ago - yet at the same time, it was all new because it was her and Adrien. Her heart stopped, then started racing so hard she felt dizzy. 

"No," Marinette whispered, looking down at where their hands were joined. A silly smile crossed her face. "I don't mind at all."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


End file.
